Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



j R. F. COOK.

Magazine Fire-arm. I 7 No. 37,854. Patentgd March 10, 1863.

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UNIT STATES'PATENT OFFICE.

ROSWELL F. COOK, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREE CH-L OADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,854, dated March 10, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoswELL F. 000K, of VVatertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loadin g Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of a pistol constructed according to my invention, showing it in condition for firing. Fig. 2 is a left-hand-side view of the same, with the side plates removed to expose the mechanism for withdrawing the cartridge and the stop which stops the barrel in position for firing. Fig. 3exhibits a side view of the stock and a central section of the barrel, the latter having been turned aside from the stock to throw out a discharged cartridge-case. Fig. 4 is a transverse section in the plane .00 w, representing the parts in positions corresponding with Fig.3. Fig.5isa face view of the breech. Fig. 6 is a back view of the barrel, or of the chainberpiece into which the barrel is firmly secured.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to that class of breechloading fire-arms in which the breech is opened and closed by a movement of the barrel and stock relatively to each other about an axis parallel with the bore of the barrel.

It consists in certain improved means of withdrawing the discharged cartridge-cases from the barrel in such fire-arms also in a certain mode of providing for the loading of such fire-arms either by hand or from a cartridge-magazine in the stock.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, 1 will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A Bis the stock-frame, the front portion, B, of which constitutes the breech. G is a short pin, secured firmly in the front of the frame to constitute the axis' about which the barrel and stock move relatively to each other to open and close the breech. This pin is perpendicular to the face of the breech.

D is the barrel, screwed firmly into a chamber-piece, E, which is deep enough for the pin 0 to pass through it below the bore of the barrel, and which is bored out parallel with the bore of the barrel for the reception of the said pin. The rear of the chamber-piece E is faced perpendicular with the two bores to fit closely against theface of the breech. Instead of being screwed into, as above described, the barrel may be forged or otherwise made with its rear portion of sufficient depth for the reception of the pin 0.

The barrel is secured on the pin by means of a collar, to, fitted to a square, 0, on the end of the pin, and a screw, 1), screwing into a tapped hole in the pin.

In the lower part of the chamber-piece E there is a notch, d, (see Fig. 6,) which, when the barrel is brought to the proper position for firing, receives a catch, F, attached to the frame. This catch works upon a pivot, c, Fig. 2, in a slot in the bottom of the frame, and its front end is held up by the pressure of a spring, Gr, upon its rear part. The said catch and notch are formed to prevent the barrel from being turned to the left upon the pin 0, but beveled, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, to permit it to turn to the right, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 6. This movement is permitted to the extent of nearly half a revolution, and only limited by the swell f, Fig. 6, of the outside of the chamber or barrel, which comes in contact with the catch and stops the barrel with its bore opposite to the mouth of the cartridge-magazine H, which is provided in the lower portion of the frame A B, below the pin 0, and which may also extend any distance back into the stock.

When the barrel is turned about half or a little more than half way to the magazine, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the chamber is exposed in an open condition on the right-hand side of the stock, in which there is formed arecess, g, for the passage of the cartridge into the chamber in the loading of the piece by hand and for the passage of the empty cartridge cases when the latter are withdrawn from the chamber preparatory to reloading. The cartridges should have their cases of metal.

I is a slide, working parallel with the bore of the barrel in a guide-groove provided for it in the left-hand side of the chamber-piece or rear portion of the barrel, and having attached to or formed upon its front end a hook, i, for withdrawing the empty or discharged carside. a notch, j,

the right upon reloading after firing, the point of the said tridge-cases from the chamber. When the cartridge is in the chamber this hook is received within a recess in the rear end of the latter, and is situated in front of the flange which is provided around the rear end of the cartridge-case. The slide Ihas in its outer for the reception of the end of a lever, k, which works on a fulcrum, l, in the chamber-piece or barrel. This lever has applied to it a spring, on, which acts to throw forward its upper end and make it press for-- ward the slide I, and when the barrel is in proper position for firing the said lever holds the slide far enough forward to prevent the hook from interfering with the cartridge, the

rear end of the said lever being at the same time just clear of the breech, as shown in Fig. 1. The slide I, lever 76, and spring m are all covered by a plate, J, Fig. 6, which is omitted in Fig. 2, to expose the said parts to view.

Above the pin 0 there is fitted into the breech a small slide, a, Fig. 2, to which there is applied within the frame a spring, 19, which presses thesaid slide forward and tends to protrude its point through the surface of the breech. When the barrel is in position for firing this slide a is held back by its point being in contact with the rear of the chamberpiece or barrel 5 but on turning the barrel to the pin 0, for the purpose of slide is brought opposite to a recess, q, Figs. 2 and 6, in the face of the chamber-piece, and so permitted to be pressed forward by the spring 1) far enough to catch the rear end of the lever k, which it is thus caused to press downward as the movement of the barrel upon pin G is continued; and by this means the upper end of the said lever is thrown back and caused to draw back the slide I and hook t', and the latter is thus caused to draw the discharged cartridge L from the chamber, as shown iii Fig. 3. The above-described movement of the barrel being continued slightly beyond the position to draw out the cartridge carries the point of the slide a clear of the lever 7c, and leaves the latter under the control of the spring m, which then operates upon it to throw forward the upper end and return the slide 1'. I

In the above-described operation the piece should be held with the barrel upward at an inclination of about forty-five degrees, and the cartridge-case, as soon as it has been drawn from the chamber, will drop out of the way, and make room for the introduction of another cartridge into the chamber, if it be desired to load by hand, in which case, after the cartridge has been inserted into the chamber, the barrel merely requires to be turned back again to close the breech and bring the piece to a condition for use.

The magazine H consists simply of a tube or passage of caliber large enough to receive the cartridges M M, one behind another, and to allow them to move freely along it, and it is fitted with a follower, N, which is pressed forward by means of a spring, 0.

When it is desired to load from the magazine the barrel is turned tothe right till the catch F comes in contact with the swell f, as before described, and the barrel beingbrought opposite to the magazine permits the spring 0 to force forward all the cartridges and d.e-

liver the front one into the chamber, and when this has been done the barrel is turned back till the catch F enters the notch d.

In order to provide for the filling of the magazine with cartridges without taking the barrel apart from the frame, the catch F is permitted to be depressed from the notch d, to allow the barrel to be turned to the left, or in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, to bring the mouth of the magazine opposite to arecess, 8, provided in the lower part of the left-hand side of the chamber-piece or barrel, in which position of themagazine the cartridges can be inserted within it one at a time.

The lock of this fire-arm may be constructed and applied in the usual or any well-known manner, and therefore I have not thought it necessary to represent it in the drawings.

I do not claim the hooked slide for withdrawing the discharged cartridge-cases from the chamber of the tire-arm but What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The lever In, spring m, slide at, and spring 19, the whole applied in combination with each other and with the hooked slide Ii, the chamber-piece E or barrel, and the breech B, and operating substantially as and forthe purpose herein specified.

2. In combination with the arrangement of the magazine below the axis about which the barrel and stock move relatively to each other, I claim so constructing the frame A B that at a certain position between that proper for firingand that proper for loading from the magazine the rear end of the barrel or chamber is exposed in an open condition, thereby providing for loading by hand or from the magazine, as may be convenient, substantially as herein described.

ROSWELL F. COOK.

Witnesses J. LORD, J. W. WEEKS. 

